I Chronicles 22-24
David starts gathering choice material for God’s house, the temple which Solomon will build. David has the vision for the work, but he is prohibited from building it because he has been a man of war. Lots of bloodshed has come during his reign, and God wants a man of peace to build His house. Still David has the desire to build it.
One especially significant observation. Do you remember about David’s great sin of adultery with Bathsheba and then his setting up of her husband to be killed? (It was murder, really). Such an abomination to God and to us. II Samuel 11 covers this episode in detail.
However, in detailing David’s life in I Chronicles, none of that is mentioned. In fact, God goes on to crown Bathsheba’s son as king.
Wouldn’t those incidents be important in detailing history?
There is a reason for this omission. I believe that the record omits it because of God’s complete forgiveness. In Psalm 103:12 David says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
David repented completely, and his transgression has been stricken from the record of God.
What a loving God we have! He has removed our transgressions from us completely. Such an incredible Father we have.
All of us have things we have done or said which we wish we could have a re-do on. We can’t take them back, really. Once something is said or done, that’s final. However, through true repentance, our Father removes that sin from us. He totally forgives us, restores us, and puts us back in the game.
I praise Him for giving me a clean slate everyday. Every morning is new, signifying a fresh start. Today, I’m going to do it better than yesterday. In the meantime, He is not holding yesterday against me, when I am reaching for higher ground.
John 8: 28-59
Jesus makes the Pharisees so mad they pick up stones to throw at Him. That’s pretty mad!
He is contrasting the truth, as it comes from God, and lies as they come from the devil. He says to these religious leaders that their father is the devil, since they only hear the lies from him.
What an indictment, when these leaders think that they are God’s men. They are so deceived that they don’t even realize how far off they are.
From the first times of the Word, prophets have been talking about the Messiah who will one day come. These leaders jesus encounters are supposedly students of the Word, and they have not only missed recognizing the Messiah, but they have actively hated and persecuted Him. What a travesty!
Actually these men have taken the Word of God and used it for their own gain. They have held themselves in high honor, and have used the letter of the Law to control the people who look up to them. The Word was never intended for that purpose.
Now the Messiah, about which the Word teaches, has arrived. He is full of grace and truth, teaching the truth that will set people free – from sin and from bondage of every kind. The hard-hearted ones don’t understand it.
The hard-hearted ones never do. They don’t in our day.
Today there are those who are supposed to know what the Word says, who use it for their own gain. They force rules and regulations upon the people, discouraging them and beating them down. In doing so, they lift themselves up to a higher plane.
The truth which Jesus preaches is that He is going to pay the price for sin and empower His people to overcome sin.
Don’t get me wrong. Jesus doesn’t say to go ahead and live a life of sin. He doesn’t want His people continuing in sin, because He gives them the power to overcome it.
That power He gives is the Holy Spirit living inside of men. His Holy Spirit which will lead and guide from within their hearts – and give them the ability to overcome the sin which tries to come upon them.
I am so thankful for His Spirit. He comforts, guides, teaches, corrects, and empowers so that we can live our lives for Jesus.
That’s the truth which sets men free. That’s the truth which Jesus brought to the earth!
